Brian Mihtar knew what he wanted to do when he stepped into the ring for the main event of the "Friday Night Fights" boxing program at the Ford Community and Performing Arts Center Friday.

It was his third professional bout and first in front of his hometown fans in Dearborn.

So, he figured he would pound on opponent Jeremy Harper’s head until he knocked him out.

It didn’t work.

Harper withstood Mihtar’s barrage throughout the first round of their junior middleweight match and the vocal crowd was getting a little nervous.

Not Mihtar. He just switched tactics.

"I hit him with some crazy shots and I couldn’t believe he stood up to it," Mihtar said. "I just couldn’t hurt him so, between rounds, I just told myself I’d go to the body."

Mihtar lowered his target right from the opening bell of the second round and a blow to the ribs staggered Harper into taking a standing eight count from the official.

Mihtar moved right back in and finished his man off with a flurry, winning on a technical knockout at the two-minute mark.

"I caught him with two rights and he started to crumble," Mihtar said. "I kept digging at the body and that kind of froze him and I just dropped him after that."

Mihtar and his supporters had every reason to be confident before the bout and it was clearly no surprise when he won.

Still, they celebrated the moment as though he had just knocked out George Foreman in Zaire.

"It was relief, mainly," Mihtar said as he calmed down in the locker room after being mobbed ringside by friends, family and fans. "I knew there were a lot of people out there who wanted to see me get the win and I was feeling a lot of pressure.

"There was more in the last couple days than I imagined there would be.

"Whenever I started to think about fighting in my hometown in the main event, it really started to hit home."

Mihtar trains at Kronk Dearborn on the second floor of the Gold’s Gym on Schaffer.

Another Kronk Dearborn product, Wessam Harb, made his pro debut on Friday’s undercard and it was a sight to see.

Harb’s opponent in the junior featherweight bout was Duwan Collier, another rookie.

Collier charged out of the corner at the bell and was throwing haymakers all over the place, forcing Harb to duck and cover.

That lasted for about a minute.

Once things quieted down, Harb lit Collier up, knocking him down twice before the referee stopped the fight at the 2:22 mark of the first round.

"He came out real wild," said Harb, "and I didn’t want to get caught with anything.

"He never really hit me. I just timed every punch and waited."

When he connected, Collier took a standing eight count and he wasn’t standing for long after that.

"After the first knockdown, I looked in his eyes and I could see he was ready to go," said Harb.

Harb said he also felt the pressure of fighting in front of his hometown fans and that he tried to turn it into a positive force.

"I went in there and had fun," he said. "That’s what boxing is. You train, do your roadwork, then have fun in the ring.

"I know that sounds strange because it’s a brutal sport, but at the same time, when you step into the ring and the spotlight is on you and all your friends and family are watching, it’s fun."

Harb brought a large entourage to the show, but one prominent member of his family was missing in action.

"My mom didn’t want to show up," he said. "You know how moms are and how much they worry.

"She stayed home, but I know she was cheering for me and that’s why I want to dedicate this win to my mother."

Amal Harb, this one’s for you.